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Easy ways to save money

Friday, May 4th

A few episodes back Financial Counselor at Family First Credit Union Jodi Arbogast was in to help us go through our budget and uncover how much we REALLY are spending vs how much we are bringing in. Figuring out your exact numbers is a crucial first step to getting your finances in order.

This week is step 2. Jodi gives us ways to shave back some of those unnecessary expenses and how to save money on things we need to spend money on.

Thanks to our friends at Family First Credit Union for supporting the $even Figure$ podcast! When it comes to financial education, earning and learning go hand-and-hand, and Family First is here to help you and the Greater Rochester community with both!

Transcript - Not for consumer use. Robot overlords only. Will not be accurate.

Are you ready we're Abby is save some money today and easy ways to trim back expenses and it is seven figures all the information you need to dominate your finances I in saint latter's. Seven figures is sponsored by our good friends and family first credit union and I have to say I went to their annual meeting the other day. It really like a family there they are all about helping their members. Because financial education is the key to getting your finances in order to building wells and reaching your calls a main goal is just financial freedom. To retire comfortably Daley first we'll help you every step for the wet and one of the most important steps. It's cutting back that's financial fast. Spending out of frivolous things you don't really need to catch you with their acts when the financial counselors at Stanley Crist Jodi. Thank you again for coming back in with the pilot my Fletcher now Jody you gave us some homered the last time you arrived. Weeks ago if you did did get a chance to listen to that episode budgeting 101 I encourage you to do so it's the basics in budgeting. Figuring out exactly how much you're paying out and how much you're bringing an OK so now we know our numbers. Our exact numbers what's next. OK so you've got to budget and he's got enough cash to cover here and couldn't save. Great big stereo type types. Hype Heidi you know betting him means you're doing everything right. But if you don't. And you can't fade but can come here and there Adori can't cover even your monthly expense of I'm patent great tips on how to reduce some of those expense. It and couple of debt attack you don't sound. The biggest thing have to down and stop creating gaps. That means what does credit cards and true rule are. Whatever you have. Now the German beats too easy to get sued clarity. I have you seen where people have frozen their credit cards and I locked into pre there yet does that work. I I didn't want. Really high dead. Because I needed to. I needed to show my husband that I was being dead so that's what I dead he and at work that is too funny. So we need to look at ways to reduce what Japan's now one of the biggest. Stated that you should do in your insurance as we touched on that. The laughed at the and the laughed practices act if your car your homeownership brand carriers. And they all bundled together under one provider you know they added the big savings if you could bundle them together under one provider. You know when was the last time chapter and you should shop every two to three years. You might still be getting the best deal but it's should still shocked. On you know you take your declarations page and you could care providers steps that very first PG gat. With your palate can you wanted to you wanna compared doughnuts too don't. You know your leader limits on what you currently have and punch in those numbers are on a new quell to make sure you're comparing doughnuts to dot. In if anything maybe it'll give you some peace of mind yes I am working with. The best person and you know with the best coverage the Basque cost so if anything it just makes you feel like okay you're doing it right. Home insurance chill if you have and I totally forgot to tell my insurance provider that I had. With what was in the new alliance alike hooked up my alarm system to my security system. And that will give you credit. Yeah. So well if you stack on kids with excellent grades. Good grades in there on your policy as a driver. And how are good grades for kids with good pay. Few dry black they and too mild to work. They should give you a discount as well. How many providers will reduce Sharon Sharon I ate some as much as 30% if you take like that and driving class. Or if you allow them monitoring your driving. Com I know that. A couple of insurance places have like a plugin that they'll put into your car. Didn't like monetary you for like 38 mixture your cat Clinton speed on net debt sort of effect gagged on the clay act. Can't really is a big savings each and every Wanda I'm your policy should take and that will give you a bigger discount. Okay how many times can you take this class. I believe you can take every two to three years. OK. Okay. I still have to that's still on my to do less dirty anyway it gave me two weeks and I still haven't done that I'd say I can't. It it's really you know you're giving up just and sometimes det class he could do land line. And you can pause it's run the kids to soccer baseball and across come back finishing at. I'm Garrett so insurance is the number one saying we can get it lowered and right don't take it management. Okay right it didn't want and you just can't talk about too many people because it can become comfortable to complete ten win. You know that the current one that they have up to Belgrade I could give back and replicate just to keep out. Fifty bucks all her three year into the 150 dollars. That yet out. Yeah. We can. You can definitely look at it like your cable Internet life actor at this. Again choppy surface compare. Can you reduce your parent to do your really need all of those can do you watch. All of those get on the cable TV. You know are you duplicating or. Through like Hulu or Netflix player and like in about pride you know do you need all of those that are as. Are all of those services cheaper than the cable subscription and you get rid of the cable and just do you know the Internet and why price or. They ask how ought. Mean there's going to be a fight I foresee a fight coming but okay. It's a battle worth fighting. Right I mean there's so many ways to get entertainment these days. And not just during your TV you know after your phone to your tablet to the computer. Now. Smart TV that you can do just regular. The local can't protect the local channel time with the regular antenna. Cock if you are not saying and then you'd like your Netflix and Hulu or whatever for a year year. TV cannot. It really is. Not a forever changed this is just it's on the right track so you can start building that nice nest tagging you can start feeling more. Comfortable. Because they know they say you know money doesn't buy you happiness but man it makes you feel happy when you know you can afford that bill. When it's gonna come in the mail. Right so gonna be uncomfortable at first you're gonna miss you're gonna miss your Netflix or your Bluetooth or a little bit. It's not going to be easy at first but. The reward will be so amazing. I didn't. It would help and end it's not just you can't let him like he's that you can't you know you can't go back to that you can not win and you're back. With your bike. Now and you feel like receiving in and has things under control yeah. Has anybody checked their checking account lately but the for those automatic deductions that come out that you don't you know. Prime example with him. I canceled my husband and subscription the other thank you did I get the public because he wasn't his. And god. I'll tell me how about you know what I mean to be healthy you know let me know when I travel and I had anything good fight daily put up. He didn't even now I get it I immediately got out. Are yeah I mean the gym memberships you know that knack flexed if you don't use it. Don TP gap's credit my country and anybody who's paying for credit monitoring needs to. Because they're entitled to. Free copy of their credit report annually from Austria the credit reporting agencies. So don't care costs that you shouldn't you know are not using them ditch. Okay even if it is just how what's five dollars mouton out a cac. Yelled out. So question cellphone plan you know have you have when I'm correct and you actually. Looked at your now. Now I have my mom on my cellphone plan to Sheen the ring back count. She loved her album let's bring back count so I would not begrudge her that 99. Q plus mom yeah but but. You know do you need on a personal you know now at nine and I can't shouldn't care but how do you need to you know. If they're cheaper plan that you can now. Look at you you'd catch tissue contracting usage I ask you really need to add unlimited data plan can you go to you know. You know one or two Dixon and for me you know I don't Amman. Can you go to a prepaid top. So that Japan Asia gulf. And you don't need delayed asked. Right my daughter was it. She's on my cell phone plan. And we just can't at Buddha Barack gas. But she was always like to have my upgrade I have my upgrade I'm gonna go up big Mac on my map. Is there a tablet or something on your apple. Ditch or not you'd say yeah can you could eliminate from him now. I know inmates. On the last year for travesty I got my husband it can't play it added to or helpful bill that we can take it can't bank. Now we have unlimited data. So I can take it to the campground. Cooked up to their wife I and it's back and it cost me anything you'd expect pavlik can't think. I'm gonna drop that from my cellphone now and may when that contract is up. So and that'll be kind I don't seem to be right back. Yeah so that's good take a look at your bill because spray you're gonna forget. Sometimes you just forget that you haven't on the air. Then he should be looking at bills absolutely. If an electric oil and propane. You know that don't heating source. Can you pre I need your oil and propane you know it's a lot of companies are reprieve I at a discounted. Concoct per gallon. Or even wanna buy jet. So that you have Eddie came and did that a vote larger ones in the winner over just some things to look at as well yeah now do they offered discounted price. You know I prayed I. Each month it's handed now at the time for that to start offering pre died for went care. So calm you know spring late spring and summer that's when I'm pro big companies start to mean that itself. If you are oiler propane and you get debt delivered start looking for those deals and get something outs you should shock. If you bed with one propane or oil provider for. You don't a year kill shot both right. It's very easy for those companies to come out commitment switch out tanks and threatening to tanks for you to go to it. A new provider that might be offering you know Alan I'm not Barnett and giving you fifty gallons free ending. You know. Yeah attack so. No make gas and electric do you have any advice because they feel like that is the one bill that we often complain about how high it is. I would just monitoring your billing your usage. Or do you call accompanied me and ask if you could go high and Amy I need time rate at nighttime rain. If they'll let you go in and night time me and your mom and that's when you do while your laundry and asked her you know 10 o'clock at night. When you're using the electricity of the dryer you know whenever. That might be something you could look at to act as well. You know they were teammates. If you're trying to get a handle on your budget I would strongly encourage. The budget pain instead of those larger ones in the winter because that you're consistently. Paying the same amount. On I know we have not drag that to micro writer and I have two months where. We either play catch a break don't have to pay about. To be allowed to sit out and then start all over again and Della just your budget payment each year according to your usage for the prior year. I'm Paris indoors stays the same you while you know exactly what your bill is going to be every month. And that's one thing that I monitor on my belt when I look at myself as OK where's my budget. Setting compared kill my usage wow right now my usage as Smart and what I paid into the budget so I O. I had my budget plan on I know I'm gonna have to pay in Mac you know and that reconciliation my. So would get by Asian looking to build and monitoring your belt and to simply don't get hit with a big surprise. Can we had a couple episodes. Go we had down a woman Paula Pam I'm with us and she's the creator of afford anything dot com she also has her own podcast. But she need a very interesting point this a lot of people will trim down costs little by little which is glide. But very rarely do you hear people advising hey median need to move. Physically move out of your house because you are spending too much money you have morehouse and you can afford or more apartment and you can afford. What do you think about that. I I would be all for that if you are and he Napster. And a four bedroom house hand yeah our debt and acre and why not downside. Get just makes cats. Or if you're a couple that they don't why he you don't want kids you don't want to cancel the yard or how she don't wanna be tied down that Renny his meaty. Trio you'd have to look at your. You need to. Yeah you'll want. That you need. You wanna be house poor. Yeah right laid tier mortgage rate. Rack kind. You might be able to liberal within your means by eat again yeah I agree you do not want me house. Arie win out I think that another big payday think we're all guilty of as ledger coming through your budgets leg US Dennis Tito. Though one area. That we all kind of scratch your president how did that they'll get so high is the grocery store bills it. Right. I have a lot of good suggestions for a hat slow. I hit two pot if you say I don't have time to do that we just pick up an act. You know and look at what wegmans or caps with offerings that we IRA. You've big box stores. Well give Paterson sometimes you know the paper towel or whatever is going to be cheaper at the big box stores plane and a weekly. Menu and I cannot extract and if you. Sunday night sit down and clean and you know your meals for the week or whatever Saturday morning whenever you're going to be shopping. You play hand bat men you know. Will launch this if you've got kids in the house you know you've got to have those lunches or your own lunch and dinner and that and that. Chops to your man you know so that your motto for buying. You're not impulse buying. You have a list just stick to jail and you can kinda neat how much you're spending at each meal. Yeah yeah that was a turning point for us to charity. Where bettors some weeks than others but usually Sunday yeah what do we eating this week and we stick to it and it's I am not even allowed to go grocery shopping because I am the one that gets distracted. I know I went shopping with my husband the other weekend does they're running errands and while we're out let's go shopping all my god I'm like wait your too. Fish at home odd. Did you say this. Idea and one that will get stuck in an aisle for like half an hour but yeah I you get a guy ran with with a plan and eastern. And then I you you know you change if you like shopping at just one grocery store. Gets pretty much hey look at that had lied when you're planning your many old they've got ticket at a week or so they've a pork like that cell ethnic let's plan that for one meal that'll be and I just keep me you know you know. We'll get Kato care whenever you need to. Enhance the meal. Cops will offer. You know a meal be out where you buy meat and then you get like eight to ten items free to enhance stat the choice. You don't really need to cool. He kind of look at their hat. Student okay appealed for unity hat I can you believe it mattered to alert on my gosh. The weeks that they do their checked and their ballistic brass yeah Dell offer elect have to. Italian Brad fail it. Shredded cheese. I'd be out may be soda with that sometimes. It's really a degree DO. She. See I had to pull myself a lot of the grocery shop because my husband handles at all yeah. But he is horrible act combining. If it's like guys are anti coupons but he. He rolls his eyes everytime I chasing down the driveway and. The the film about that I didn't yeah I now. I am not a coup batter either but I do look at that he had. Can see what I can you know get ideologues. And he didn't. There's so many meal Pratt. Video news on tomorrow I'm FaceBook yeah out I was just starting one that got I love it. It's you just scramble up a bunch of bags like a lot of bags and then put him in muffin tins and you know and then I get in the oven you do or don't wish I. It they're so easy quick for the morning when your kids are in a Russian out the door and yeah or yourself out. Rather than the top tartar and I'm not judging him right when my daughter with box. I handed her pop chart out the door he actually yeah I don't worry I did yeah yeah. Let's put out so much better for you you know. Okay great. What are some other things at C extended warranty I wanted to bring out because the extended warranty drives me Nat. If you course selling the product that ended in needed your warranty at W hear not what your product. Right unfortunately. They're making items so that the third year. Tumbled so that they don't laugh. You know Blake and accept. Prime example my cousin just had to go this past weekend to get a new washer and dryer. She had the washer dryer for over twenty year. Rule yeah they don't make damn anymore like yeah I know. They do not. And they did a lot of hunting this past weekend and finally settled on. What's it like to specific branded stuff but this dampened even pat. Cheese. If you try really. No I still wouldn't I don't know it's still good by the extended warranty on anything. I know horror on to kind of wash you're on. Anything if you take care of that and love that and yet now in service so delicate you know when it means to be there rested my patio. You should be okay. Yeah it's like one in one tip that you can give us when it comes to OK now that we ever budget in order and we trimmed back. What's one thing that we can do to start actually building our wealth. Pay yourself first to meaning when your check comes and I immediately set aside 2.5 dollars and special savings account before you even look at Javelle. Put that I die the way debt will force you. May be different maybe it's at a Christmas compensate for cricket match. They had to scramble and cut that time never gift giving tax. Maybe if you need tires for your car maybe it's an emergency finds. But just pay yourself first just do. And then as you get a read or if you get in the end or mention that put a little bit more and act. Damn month that you do get a bonus congratulations. First stop you deserve it that's awesome now get ready that you never side. And put it either in net. You know your little emergency fund invested or pay down those bills that your trying to pay down the full amount. Right Ari Jerry and the show we we're talking about their minded to get your opinion on this transparency and we had a a big debate about its. If you're gonna spend money on vacation or updating the house what would you do you know. We're all make an hour summer plans and your husband says let's go on vacation and you say no I wanna keep that wanna update the house because. It needs a little TLC. I would take care of your investment. Which is that how it. CNET that I thirteen Jerry yeah I've seen him. I love my vacation to beat my house and I love my outs so much right. Want to hear I wonder for how it's a bright might frugal friend. Pretty. I. Thought the OK you're the best thank you so much again a lot to take in for this episode you might have to go. Immaculate and do it again takes and knows a great great tips. But has cut expenses trim the budget a little bit and think you so much Jody and then in another few weeks we'll bring you back in for how to build twelfth in my head. Found great. It's those little things a little incremental savings that will add up and hopefully soon you will feel yeah. This feel good about your finances you feel like your income and try. OK so now every week we leave you with my dad. He always has. Clean concise straightforward. Advice for yeah Father Knows Best my dad's two cents. Thank you so much for checking out the podcast again this week. And spread in the word about the seven figures podcast. Have a great weekend. How many your finances. Here's something to think about a shocking 70%. Of the lottery winners and go bankrupt. The reason. They don't know how to handle the flood of requests from all those so called friends and relatives they can be very difficult to say no and often they end up in the new way too much and squandering to much and depreciating. Assets. So it's just cars and boats and vacations. Regardless of how much money you have. You still have to watch your spending. She.